Travel bag

ABSTRACT

A ravel bag is disclosed to have a top open chamber formed in the top panel thereof in front of a vertical pull handle, a carrying handle suspending in the top open chamber, a hard cover plate hinged to the top panel and turnable relative to the top panel a close position to close the top open chamber and an open position where the hard cover plate is supported on the shank of the vertical pull handle for supporting a handbag or the like on the top panel of the travel bag, and a zip fastener for locking hard cover plate after the hard cover plate has been closed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a travel bag and more particularly, tosuch a travel bag, which has a top cover plate that can be turnedoutwards and supported on the shank of the vertical pull handle thereoffor supporting an object on the top panel of the travel bag when moving.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional travel bags commonly have a retractable handle for pullingby the user when walking. This retractable handle comprises tworetractable bars arranged in parallel and a grip transversely connectedbetween the two retractable bars at the top side. There is also known atravel bag, which has a vertical pull handle at the back side. Thevertical pull handle comprises a retractable shank and a grip at the topside of the retractable shank. The retractable shank is comprised of aninner tube and an outer tube sleeved onto the inner tube. The bag bodyof this structure of travel bag is molded from plastics. Further, theuser cannot put a handbag or the like on the top panel of the travel bagwhen walking because the retractable shank of the vertical pull handlecannot support the user's handbag or the like on the top panel of thetravel bag steadily when the user pulling the travel bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. According to one aspect of the present invention, the travel bagcomprises a top open chamber formed in the top panel thereof in front ofa vertical pull handle, a carrying handle suspending in the top openchamber, a hard cover plate hinged to the top panel and turnablerelative to the top panel between a first position where the hard coverplate closes the top open chamber and a second position where the hardcover plate is supported on the shank of the vertical pull handle forsupporting an object on the top panel, and lock means adapted to lockthe hard cover plate after the hard cover plate has been closed.According to another aspect of the present invention, the lock means canbe a zip fastener, or hook and loop materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel bag according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the present invention, showing thehard cover plate of the travel bag opened.

FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 2 when viewed from another angle.

FIG. 4 shows a handbag put on the top panel of the travel bag andsupported on the hard cover plate at the shank of the pull handleaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing a handbag put on the top panel ofthe travel bag and supported on the hard cover plate at the shank of thepull handle and the travel bag tilted from the vertical standingposition to a tilted walking position according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate form of the travel bagaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a travel bag 1 in accordance with the presentinvention is shown comprising a top open chamber 111 formed in the toppanel 11 thereof, a carrying handle 12 suspending in the top openchamber 111, a pull handle 14 provided at the top side thereof andvertically upwardly protruding over the top panel 11 to a distance, anda hard cover plate 13 hinged to the top panel 11 and turnable relativeto the top panel 11 to close/open the top open chamber 111. The hardcover plate 13 is comprised of a hard plate member 134 and a softcovering 133 surrounding the hard plate member 134. A zip fastener 131is installed in the top panel 11 and the hard plate member 134 forsecuring the hard cover plate 13 to the top panel 11 in the closeposition. The hard cover plate 13 has an opening 132. The carryinghandle 12 protrudes over the hard cover plate 13 through the opening 132after the hard cover plate 13 has been closed and the zip fastener 131has been fastened up (see FIG. 3).

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when opened the hard cover plate 13, thehard cover plate 13 can be rested on the shank 141 of the pull handle14, and a handbag 2 (or computer bag or the user's personal bag) can beput on the top panel 11 of the travel bag 1 and supported on the hardcover plate 13 at the shank 141 of the pull handle 14 and then movedwith the travel bag 1.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate form of the present invention. According tothis embodiment, hook and loop materials 112, 135 are used to substitutefor the aforesaid zip fastener 131 for securing the hard cover plate 13to the top panel 11 in the close position.

A prototype of travel bag has been constructed with the features ofFIGS. 1-5. The travel bag functions smoothly to provide all the featuresdiscussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except asby the appended claims.

1. A travel bag comprising a top open chamber formed in a top panelthereof in front of a vertical pull handle thereof, a carrying handlesuspending in said top open chamber, a hard cover plate hinged to saidtop panel and turnable relative to said top panel between a firstposition where said hard cover plate closing said top open chamber and asecond position where said hard cover plate is supported on a shank ofsaid vertical pull handle for supporting an object on said top panel,and lock means adapted to lock said hard cover plate after said hardcover plate has been closed.
 2. The travel bag as claimed in claim 1,wherein said hard cover plate comprises a hard plate member, and a softcovering surrounding said hard plate member.
 3. The travel bag asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said hard cover plate has an opening throughwhich said carrying handle has a part protruded over said hard coverplate after said hard cover plate has been closed.
 4. The travel bag asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said lock means is a zip fastener.
 5. Thetravel bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock means is comprisedof hook and loop materials.